Palestinian killed as Israel shells Gaza

Israel said its air strikes on Tuesday targeted Hamas fighters preparing to launch rockets [EPA]

At least one person has been killed and two others wounded in an Israeli artillery attack in the northern Gaza Strip, according to local medical sources.

The men were fighters hit while they were trying to fire rockets at Israeli towns, a Hamas-affiliated radio station reported.

The Israeli shelling followed a bomb attack earlier on Tuesday which wounded an Israeli army officer on patrol along the strip. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine claimed responsibility for that attack.

The violence comes as the emir of Qatar visited the occupied territory, the first head of state to visit Gaza since an international blockade was imposed in 2007.

Fighters also fired four rockets from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel on Tuesday, but they landed without causing any casualties or damage.